HT Leads

beefio · Post by **beefio** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 5:51 pm

Thinking of replacing the HT leads on my April 2000 MGF VVC as think they are probably the originals and there is a very slight miss fire on idle (spark plugs were replaced with genuine originals 2 years ago).

Was looking at the following Matt Lewis Racing leads for £35...

http://www.mattlewisracing.co.uk/produc ... wis_racing

But I also came across these from Mr Retro Leads on eBay who has 12,000+ 100% positive feedback and they will make them for me in black which I would prefer over them being coloured...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/121523251733

Has anyone have any experience with either of these leads?

PS. I can't afford Magnecor leads at £80...

Post by **Rob Bell** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 6:57 pm

I got a set of Magnecor second hand with a coil for just a few quid - and since these seem to last for decades, I think you can buy them in complete confidence. I now have these on all my K16 engines...

Mikeadman · Post by **Mikeadman** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 7:02 pm

I can only recommend Magnecor have had then for over ten years on my Triumph TR6

Not changed the leads on my 2005 MG TF yet.

Cheers

Mike

beefio · Post by **beefio** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 7:08 pm

No second hand Magnecor's on eBay at all so not an option unfortunately.

If anyone has any experience of the other two lead I listed then I'd love to hear from you...

Blackwell Bandit · Post by **Blackwell Bandit** » Tue Mar 07, 2017 12:58 pm

Yes I have the MLR leads but only two as I have coil packs, I have not had a problem with them at all and recommend them.

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beefio · Post by **beefio** » Tue Mar 07, 2017 1:06 pm

I went for the Mr Retro Leads on eBay as just wanted black leads, I can't see that 12,000 happy customers can be wrong!

beefio · Post by **beefio** » Tue Mar 07, 2017 1:07 pm

Anyone know of a decent 'how to' for my HT lead replacement attempt...I'm a novice...

Blackwell Bandit · Post by **Blackwell Bandit** » Tue Mar 07, 2017 2:19 pm

One ay a time

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Post by **Rob Bell** » Tue Mar 07, 2017 4:51 pm

This this: http://mgf.ultimatemg.com/group2/DIY/ma ... kplugs.htm

beefio · Post by **beefio** » Sat Mar 11, 2017 8:31 pm

So I got my replacement leads and they seem good quality. I started replacing them but only had time to do 3 so far, but I had a real problem removing the spark plug cover as the screws were stuck and seemed to be made of butter and i had to use an impact driver to get one out but the Philips head screw is now ruined, I've looked on Rimmers and strangely the screws they list have hex heads and not a Philips head like the ones I have so I wondered if the wrong screws had been used on mine. Can anyone confirm which they should be?

beefio · Post by **beefio** » Sun Mar 12, 2017 7:31 pm

Managed to fit all the HT leads and when I went for a drive I couldn't believe the difference, there was a noticeable improvement it just felt far more responsive, the best £35 I've spent on my F!

Highly recommend Mr Retro Leads!

Post by **Rob Bell** » Mon Mar 13, 2017 8:43 am

The old leads must have been well past their best then - so good move with the replacement

The original HT cover screws were cross-head Philips. They usually come out easily in my experience - so I guess no one had had the cover off in a very long time by the sounds of things. I wonder when the spark plugs were last replaced? At least they have a service life of approaching 60k miles...

beefio · Post by **beefio** » Mon Mar 13, 2017 9:04 am

It's a good point about the spark plugs, they should have been changed 2 years ago as part of a major service I had by an MG specialist, however the stuck screw looked a bit corroded so I wonder if it had been removed?

I suppose they could have just over tightened the screws but it makes you wonder...

For the sake of £20 maybe I should just replace the spark plugs too!

RobboMC · Post by **RobboMC** » Tue Mar 14, 2017 5:15 am

It's great that you identified the cause and were able to fix it yourself. Always a great feeling of success.

Just be careful changing the spark plugs - I see you admit to being a novice. The plugs are a long, long way down into the head
as they are beneath the level of the cams. You will need a proper sized spark plug socket and an extension that will fit the socket snugly
and extract the socket from the fitted plug.

Also, the plugs need to be tightened 'just right' Too loose and they will leak and misfire, too tight and well, you can strip the head.

I don't mean to frighten you off this job, changing plugs is a job most novices come to grips with, after all
we all started somewhere, but the F plugs can be a bit tricky. Just do your homework first and make sure you have decent tools.

If you can, use a torque wrench on the plugs, it's the best way to get them right when you are learning. If you plan to keep working on your car buy the tools, you will need the long extension and torque wrench many times in the future. I just did the front suspension strut on our Zafira and used both, always good to get an extra use out of an expensive tool.

RobboMC · Post by **RobboMC** » Tue Mar 14, 2017 5:15 am

PS Yes I would replace the spark plugs, peace of mind is worth more than 20 quid!!! First thing I did on my car was change the plugs.

beefio · Post by **beefio** » Tue Mar 14, 2017 7:19 am

I hear what your saying Robbo thanks.

I actually brought a torque wrench but haven't used it so this could be its first job.

What torque is needed for the plugs?

What size spark plug socket is needed?

How long does the extension need to be?

beefio · Post by **beefio** » Tue Mar 14, 2017 1:00 pm

I've seen in the workshop manual that the required torque is 25Nm, I've brought a 16mm spark plug socket with rubber grommet and an extension bar set, so hopefully I'll be good to go on the weekend if they all arrive!

Would I be able to tell how old the plugs are, do they show any signs of wear being tucked away out of sight?

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